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McKenzie Quaintance is preparing to represent the community as Miss Liberty Lake during the Miss Washington pageant in October.

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Woman representing LL at Miss Washington pageant
8/27/2015 12:19:51 PM

By Dani Guarisco
Splash Contributor

For many, the word "pageant" brings to mind beautiful girls walking across a stage or the TLC show "Toddlers and Tiaras." Local McKenzie Quaintance had the same view of these competitions before extensive research led her to compete for the title of Miss Washington this October. 

McKenzie's decision to challenge herself with this new adventure required her to pick a region she wanted to represent. Taking pride in the place she grew up, she became Miss Liberty Lake. It all started with an ad on a website. She looked into competing, filled out an application, and following an hour-long phone interview, she was officially part of a brand new world. As this will be the first pageant she's ever competed in, it's full of surprise and new experiences.

"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing," said McKenzie, 19, a Central Valley High School graduate who now attends Spokane Community College. She recently achieved a 4.0 for the quarter, putting her on the honor roll. With Ernest Hemingway as her inspiration, she hopes one day to become a writer and English teacher. She also enjoys attending concerts, festivals, writing poetry, reading, volunteering and photography. 

She has learned a lot about pageants as the competition draws closer, including how much work it takes, from volunteering to, yes, even going all the way to Seattle to take a walking class. 

One of her biggest responsibilities was taking on a cause in connection with her title as Miss Liberty Lake. For this, McKenzie started a memorial fund for suicide and depression awareness in honor of her uncle, Steve Ausman. The fund is called the Steve Ausman Memorial Fund, and it was created through the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. With such a close tie to the devastating global issue, McKenzie decided that this was the foundation she wanted to shed light on.

Along with volunteering and organizing donations, McKenzie also wants to change the persona of pageants. People often have a perspective of pageants that puts them in a negative light. She wants people to look at pageant competitors in a different light and to realize how they make a difference in their community and state, as well as in themselves. Although she's received a vast amount of support from friends and family, she has received judgmental feedback on her decision through social media.

"I think a lot of people have the wrong view of pageants," McKenzie said. "It's much more than just having a pretty face." 

Between bettering her community and taking classes, she says one of the biggest components of pageants is building confidence in one's self. 

"I really support girls building their confidence in themselves and being able to achieve their goals," she said.

Like any new challenge, the decision to enter the pageant has come with some uncertainty. 

"I'm kind of going in blind," she said. 

Although she has done her research, she has only met a few of the other women who will be competing during special classes. The actual competition consists of evening gown, swim wear and an interview portion. The interview portion really surprised her; it will be all about the girls themselves and their individual pursuits.

"You really have to know your stuff," she said. 

What is she most nervous about? 

"'The swimwear, I think, will be the hardest part for me to just walk out so confidently," she said.

But she still is going in head first, without fear.

"The hard work is going to pay off," McKenzie said.

• • • 

For More
Follow McKenzie Quaintance's quest to become Miss Washington and learn more about her work raising money for the Steve Ausman Memorial Fund at www.facebook.com/Misslibertylake or support her at www.gofundme.com/misslibertylake.

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